Deuteron forward photodisintegration meson currents and relativity

The few-nucleon problem in nuclear physics and the few-electron problem in atomic physics are shown to possess similarities. Relativistic aspects of the latter are reviewed. The radiative decay of the /sup 3/P/sub 1/ excited state of helium-like ions to the /sup 1/S/sub o/ ground state is shown to be a theoretical analogue of low-energy deuteron forward photodisintegration. Both have large relativistic components. The extended Siegert's theorem, which permits application of Siegert's technique to arbitrary photon wave lengths, is applied to both transitions. Physical arguments for the two processes are stressed, and the relevance of interaction currents is discussed